France’s Metropolitan nabs Sono’s ‘Hope’

Japanese pic world preems in Toronto

TOKYO — Japanese indie sales outfit Pictures.dept has sold “The Land of Hope,” the Sion Sono drama about two families caught in the aftermath of a Fukushima-like nuclear disaster, to France’s Metropolitan.

“I’m happy to have them on board for the release, since they know best (how to handle) Japanese films in France,” said Pictures.dept prexy Yuko Shiomaki.

Metropolitan also handled the Japanese pic “Departures,” an Oscar winner that scored boffo B.O. in Japan and elsewhere.

“The Land of Hope,” for which Sono spent weeks interviewing survivors of the March 11, 2011 reactor meltdowns, prior to penning the script, gets its world preem in Toronto on Friday. It opens in Japan on Oct. 20.